Giving back to men like Jerry...
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Jerry and his buddies in the Veteran’s Housing First Program are looking forward to preparing Thanksgiving dinner together in their “own” kitchen.
“I thank God every day for...another day of life”
When Jerry enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1965, his mom had to give written permission. He left home, legally, still a boy. But Jerry was soon drinking like a man. When he came home three years later, he was an alcoholic. As he says, “I learned how to drink when I was in the military, but I was old enough to do it by myself when I got out.”
After the service, Jerry lived in Council Bluffs, Iowa and drove cabs for several companies. In 1969, he moved to Omaha to avoid paying taxes in two states. “I drank just about 24/7,” he recalls. “I used to fill my cab with alcohol and go to work.”
A victory...and a valley
Through ten years of drinking and driving cabs, Jerry managed to stay alive. Then, in 1978, his mother and sister intervened and got him into hospitalized treatment. “May 5th of ’78 was my sobriety date,” he says. “By the grace of God, I haven’t gone back since.” That’s 31 years sober. Quite a victory! But in ’79 Jerry entered a lifelong valley.
Due to an overdose of prescription medicine, Jerry developed serious blood clots and was pronounced legally dead in the Omaha V.A. Hospital. “I know if it weren’t for God, I wouldn’t be here,” he says. Permanently disabled, Jerry’s “homes” have mostly been V.A. hospitals and a shelter—until he learned about Open Door Mission’s Veteran’s First Housing Program, which changed his life! Estranged from his siblings, he had become isolated from family after his mom and grandfather passed away. But in the program, Jerry found a “brotherhood” of fellow veterans. In fact, he and a housemate are planning to move into their own apartment by the end of the year. With help from his case manager, Jerry is working through the steps to make this happen.
This will be Jerry’s second Thanksgiving at Open Door Mission—but only his first in the housing program. “This Thanksgiving will be different, because we can cook our own meal,” he says. Jerry, who enjoys having fun with his housemates, is looking forward to it. “I thank God every day for getting up and having another day of sobriety... another day of life,” he says.
